Folks, it is more than a little disheartening some days to imagine Ardmore as a bright light in this township when you consider the density overload threatening to overtake this small main street oriented town. And yes, all you fans of over urbanization, Ardmore is a main street oriented small town. But by the time development lessens it’s icy grip, will it still be?

We fought long and hard to stop eminent domain. We won that battle. But we lost the war over a more sensible MUST being enacted. A MUST where height, density, human scale, parking, aesthetics and historic precedence were considered. And yes, that was possible to do, only no one asked for that type of plan save a couple sensible commissioners. MUST hasn’t built one damn thing yet, and already folks want more and there are MUST Amendments Looming.

No one KNOWS if MUST will even succeed and already certain folks are clambering for more freedoms. The irony? Those within our membership who met Curt Pringle, Mayor of the anti-eminent domain, “freedom friendly city” of Anaheim, California now know mixed use can work. However, that being said, where mixed used is succeeding is in areas that have MUCH MORE SPACE in which to lay out a mixed use zone. NONE of it is as teeny and already as dense as little Ardmore, nor (very important) are these “zones” located in such OBVIOUS suburbia. All the mixed use we can find examples of appears to be in areas already more urban.

And then there is the general question of condo mania in Ardmore and though out our township and neighboring townships. Every damn day in a mainstream news source comes national and local indicators that real estate markets are SOFTENING. And the stories of all those folks suckered into ARMs (adjustable rate mortgages), beginning to dump their properties. Why? Because they really couldn’t afford them to begin with and now their rates are starting to jump, which is what happens with ARM’s....that is the “adjustable” part. We can’t just go forward here with the assumption of build it and they will come. It is NOT realistic.

No one seems to get that if more caution was exercised with development, folks just might be more accepting. But no, instead, our communities are being ripped asunder – land is so over priced that these projects all have to be priced sky high for investors in these projects to either break even and/or turn a profit. This isn’t being mean spirited, either. Anyone who has attended any public meetings on proposed or in process development has heard the phrase “have to make the numbers work”.

So, in addition to MUST, we now have to ask should Ardmore change it’s name to Little Detroit? Here’s what we’ve got (let us know if we missed any):

Martin Main Line Honda
123 E Lancaster Avenue, Ardmore, PA 19003

You can’t throw a stick in Ardmore and NOT hit a car dealership. And have any of you driven or heaven forbid, tried to walk past the new Ardmore Toyota? This is brought to you by the folks that have Central City Toyota in West Philly. This new and improved car dealership is hulking, ugly, and will cause innumerable traffic problems. But build it and they shall come. Now here is a section of Ardmore that, like Ardmore West, would have made a more sensible MUST zone. But nooooooo.....we now look like Little Detroit.

And lest we forget what is up on the zoning hearing board schedule (not televised) for Thursday, July 13th, 2006 at the Township Building in Ardmore. Yep, straight from www.lowermerion.org under “Township Meetings”:

"Appeal No. 4048
Applicant: Joseph Bush, Jr. and 306 W. Lancaster Avenue Associates, L.P.
Property: 20 & 22 Holland Avenue, Ardmore, PA 19003
R 6A Residence District
Election District #4
The applicants propose to demolish the twin dwellings and consolidate the lots with the Infiniti dealership complex and seek a variance from §155-47 to use the properties for vehicle display and sales. "

Yep, right in the town that needs MORE, not less reasonable and affordable housing, a car dealership is spreading like the blob farther in on a residential street. Of course, we urge folks to roll on up to this meeting and say “please, not another residential neighborhood”, but will anyone open their mouths, or will they remain pillars of salt as their neighborhood becomes a commercial real estate snack?

Also up at the zoning meeting? The urbanization of Gladwyne:

"Appeal No. 4037
Applicant: Waverly Heights, Ltd.
Property: 1400 Waverly Road & 1342 Waverly Road, Gladwyne, PA 19035
R AA & R A Residence Districts
Election District #2
Waverly Heights proposes to combine the properties and expand its Continuing Care Facilities for the Elderly use. They seek a special exception under §§155-11 N & 11 X to build 18 "villa" residential living units, expand the nursing facilities with an additional 23 nursing beds, build a movie room addition, a 1035 sq. ft. greenhouse, and a 1200 sq. ft. landscaping storage building, and install 70 parking spaces. They also seek a variance from §155-167.1 A(7) to allow an existing barn to remain within the required 150' perimeter setback along Waverly Road, and to the extent required, they seek a variance from §155-166 D to allow portions of certain villa units and driveway areas to be built upon slopes in excess 25%. "

Yep, even beautiful Gladwyne isn’t safe. Folks in the surrounding neighborhood describe it thusly: "Waverly Heights will be presenting their plan with the 80 space Superfresh look-a-like parking lot in front of Waverly Road between Briar Hill and Sweetbriar Rds."

Sounds lovely, doesn’t it? Sounds as purty as the proposed cell phone tower the size of the Cape May Lighthouse, don’t it?

And neighboring Haverford is about to get a double dose of development: Dreycott Lane and N. Buck Lane. And Bryn Mawr is starting to see the hospital’s “visions”. And then there is Belmont Hills, Bala, etc. Then there’s ROHO and ROHO Amendments being proposed.

It is all too much and too depressing to contemplate. Consider this: how can we get excited about progress and the future. And speaking of the future, what’s up with The Ardmore Initiative? Now that they have their pricey new office space sort of up and running, what ARE they doing over there? Do they have their latest new executive director yet? What’s up with the business district authority???? And what’s up with the train station renovation? Better parking for township employees so that customers can actually use the parking meters?

What is actually happening in Ardmore that is good for the preexisting residents and merchants? Or are we all supposed to get out of Dodge so those “targeted demographics” can live in their million dollar condo ghettos and shop in their upscale mall stores?

So many questions on a stinking hot day.

So many questions....so few answers...such a need for a comprehensive plan and smart growth that actually utilizes intelligence…just our opinions…